Foreword

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 makes provision for the health, safety and welfare of all people at work and for the controlled use of dangerous substances and emissions. The Act places a responsibility for care on the whole community and it requires the co-operation of all in creating a healthier and safer working environment. There is a responsibility on all employers to maintain safe plant, systems of work and premises; to arrange adequate instruction, training and supervision; and to lay down a safety policy and to tell their employees about it. Further, all who design, manufacture, install, erect or supply anything for use at work will now be responsible for its safety. Apart from taking care to avoid injury to themselves and others at work employees must co-operate to enable health and safety requirements to be complied with.

Firstly, everyone must know the risks and potential hazards of the materials and equipment he is working with and so be alert to any dangers. This will ensure that we all adopt safe methods of work to reduce risks to a minimum.

Secondly, in addition to these special risks, there are those from "non-occupational" accidents: the slips, falls, strains and so on which occur at the workplace as much as in the home or on the playing field. We must be conscious of these hazards too as well as the specialised problems in specific work areas.

Finally, the control of physical conditions is only a partial answer to the accident problem: we have to learn to want to work safely, and to appreciate that a knowledge and awareness of the dangers of materials are not enough. We must be on our guard and always alert to the simple every day things that can bring injury if they are ignored.

All of us who work in the University should be aware of the University’s Statement of Safety Policy (reproduced in this Handbook). The arrangements and advice in this Safety Handbook implement that policy and form the basis of safe working and training in safety methods in all Schools and across Professional Services. I hope it will encourage everyone to do the right thing at the right time.